Hoecake Waffles + Tomato Garlic Schmear: Savor The Sweet
I have been taking a deep dive on cornbread lately – from recipes by Brenda Gantt and others, from hot water cornbread to the wonderful fried hoecake or Johnnycake.
The one thing that I have learned: cornbread is very forgiving and hard to mess up, and don’t over-preheat your skillet.
If you ever see Brenda Gantt (my most recent food crush and Alabama Facebook star) actually measure her cornbread ingredients, I will give you a nickel. Or something. I haven’t seen her do it yet. She just eyeballs and bases the measurements on the consistency of the batter until it’s thick like buttermilk.
What got me into the cornbread search was twofold: my love for hoecakes at Southern soul restaurant Mama Hamil’s in Madison and the thought of finding the best cornbread waffle recipe. What easier way to fry a hoecake than in a waffle iron? I wondered.
Cornbread waffles are nothing new, but trying to determine the amount of fat to go in there seemed to be the key, and the recipes for hoecakes have the most fat – the more to help keep its shape while being skillet fried.
Plus, we expect our waffles to be a little sweet, right? And don’t come at me with the sugar-in-cornbread debate. To each her own, especially when it comes to the variety of Southern tastes.
And what better pairing with the waffle than a nice, savory schmear? Roast some garlic in the oven and mix that up with some cream cheese and sundried tomatoes a few hours in advance.
The resulting brunch food will dazzle your tongue, and if you just want it to push some peas around the plate – well, that’s fine, too.
Enjoy …
Hoecake Waffles
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, whisked
3 TB sugar (optional, to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
3/4 cup self-rising flour
Cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Check your batter’s thickness. It should be runny and as thick as buttermilk, so add a little more water, if needed. Spray waffle iron with vegetable oil, and cook waffles according to your iron’s manufacturer’s directions, being sure to spray the iron with oil between batches. The amount of batter will depend on the size of the iron. Place waffles in the oven to stay warm. Broil off if you want them extra crispy once you have completed the entire batch.
Tomato Garlic Schmear
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup diced sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil, like Bella Sun Luci)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 TB mayonnaise
Juice and zest of half-lemon or 1 tsp lemon pepper
2 jalapeños (optional – they aren’t too hot once roasted)
Salt, to taste
Directions
Wrap garlic cloves and jalapeños, if using, in aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes. Mash the roasted garlic, and split and de-seed the peppers. Mix all ingredients together a few hours in advance of serving to give the tomatoes time to absorb some moisture and for the flavors to meld.